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dorindaYou might have heard about the new British film version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy coming out, with Gary Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, John Hurt, Ciarán Hinds, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong... *passes out from simply too much awesome*.
I'm really looking forward to it (see above), and I figured in preparation, I'd read the book. I never had read it, which was weird, since it's right up my alley. I'd only ever read one John le Carré book, in fact--Our Game, which I picked up used. I remember liking it fine, but it didn't stick with me.
So, I read Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, expecting, I suppose, the same thing.
Oh, my, not the same thing.
I knew le Carré wrote a good, convincing spy story, and the details and jargon were just as interesting and satisfying as I had hoped... but for some reason I never expected the book to be as touching as it was. It moved me, and I didn't see that coming.
In and among the mystery and the espionage, he draws some wonderful characters, and has a fine and restrained hand with powerful emotion. I was particularly surprised, in fact, at...
Okay, here's a small spoiler for one of the background subplots, but I won't be using names or giving away the book's big mystery!
I was surprised at the subtle m/m subplot in there, treated with as much depth and respect and melancholy and pain as any of the opposite-sex relationships. Granted, it was never explicitly confirmed onscreen that the relationship was sexual as well as being deeply and intensely loving, but it was confirmed to be the latter, and the possibility of the former was certainly mentioned and left open (and Smiley himself seems to believe in it).
I wonder if any of that is going to make it into the new movie? They'll really have to cut the book down to fit the short running time, so it remains to be seen. Perhaps subtextually, at least.
I never did see the original miniseries with Alec Guinness as Smiley, either. Does anyone know if that part of the subplot made it in there? Or was it just too much the 70s (or, conversely, hard to put in there without seeming plainly negative about it?)?
Anyhoo. Short version: book: recommended!
I'm really looking forward to it (see above), and I figured in preparation, I'd read the book. I never had read it, which was weird, since it's right up my alley. I'd only ever read one John le Carré book, in fact--Our Game, which I picked up used. I remember liking it fine, but it didn't stick with me.
So, I read Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, expecting, I suppose, the same thing.
Oh, my, not the same thing.
I knew le Carré wrote a good, convincing spy story, and the details and jargon were just as interesting and satisfying as I had hoped... but for some reason I never expected the book to be as touching as it was. It moved me, and I didn't see that coming.
In and among the mystery and the espionage, he draws some wonderful characters, and has a fine and restrained hand with powerful emotion. I was particularly surprised, in fact, at...
Okay, here's a small spoiler for one of the background subplots, but I won't be using names or giving away the book's big mystery!
I was surprised at the subtle m/m subplot in there, treated with as much depth and respect and melancholy and pain as any of the opposite-sex relationships. Granted, it was never explicitly confirmed onscreen that the relationship was sexual as well as being deeply and intensely loving, but it was confirmed to be the latter, and the possibility of the former was certainly mentioned and left open (and Smiley himself seems to believe in it).
I wonder if any of that is going to make it into the new movie? They'll really have to cut the book down to fit the short running time, so it remains to be seen. Perhaps subtextually, at least.
I never did see the original miniseries with Alec Guinness as Smiley, either. Does anyone know if that part of the subplot made it in there? Or was it just too much the 70s (or, conversely, hard to put in there without seeming plainly negative about it?)?
Anyhoo. Short version: book: recommended!
